Battle of the Shields
The Battle of the Shields was a major naval battle near the end of the War of the Five Kings, that saw the breaking of the Ironborn fleet, the death of their sovereign, and the recapture of the Shield Isles by the Reach. Lead Up Following a defeat at the mouth of the Whispering Sound, Euron Greyjoy and his reavers are thrown back from the mainland, losing their footholds on the Arbor and the south-western coasts of the Reach. Euron falls back to the Shield Isles, still in Ironborn possession, intent on counterattacking. He sends word to the Iron Islands, demanding more ships, but the workings of Asha Greyjoy and Rodrick the Reader, combined with his recent losses, severely damage any hold he has on the Isles. No ships come, and soon, the navy of the Reach can be seen on the horizon. Battle While Highgarden, Oldtown and a few minor strongholds along the coast all contributed, the hard heart of the Reach's navy belonged to House Redwyne. As the battle joined, the burgundy grape cluster on blue closed in from two sides, each led by Lord Redwyne or one of his sons. The Ironborn did not shy from battle - theirs was a whirling advance, seemingly lacking all coordination but with the deadly grace of a hurricane. The two forces met with a shattering of oars, the sound of splintering wood carried long distances across the choppy sea. The Ironfleet met the Redwyne warships head on, while longships lanced between them, picking off stray fighters or hounding vessels in packs. The Ironborn fought hard, their skill at sea and love of battle turning them into terrible foes. But they lacked the numbers, and many bore wounds from previous battles, or were exhausted from constant raiding. With no fresh troops from the Isles, all Euron had were those reavers who first descended with him. Soon the battle began to turn, as warship struck ironship in the flank, or galleys brought hails of arrows down upon rogue longships. The Ironborn did not retreat - instead they died, or burned, or drowned. When Euron himself perished, his flagship boarded and pierced below the waterline, his crew slain or lost, and a score of foemen dead about his feet, the resolve of the Ironmen broke. They turned their longships and fled - leaving the Isles and the victory in the hands of the Reach. Aftermath The surviving Ironborn ships race homeward, sure that the Redwynes will not be far behind. The Reach is in no rush, however - with the majority of the Iron Fleet now at the bottom of the Sunset Sea, the Islands are wide open to attack. With winter nearly upon them and much of the harvest on the west coast lost, the Tyrells and their vassals look inward, intent on ensuring their own safety before sailing northward to bring the recaltriant Isles to heel. Asha Greyjoy, knowing that the Isles cannot stand against the full force of the Iron Throne's navy, sends word to her brother Theon in Winterfell, offering terms to Robb Stark to protect the lives of her people. Category:Lore-Battles Category:Battles